Irish Whiskey

If you like a good comeback story, you’ll loveIrish Whiskey. To start, Irish Whiskey has been around for a long time. Distilling was brought over by monks in 600 AD, and by 1405, the first mention of Irish Whiskey was documented. It is one of the oldest Spirits in all of Europe.

There are 3 different types of Irish Whiskey: single pot still, single malt, and single grain. Great investment in the industry led to a huge surge in production in the late 18th century. In 1790 there were over 200 licensed distilleries in Ireland, not to mention the estimated 2,000-20,000 unlicensed distillers at the time.

A series of events led to the industry’s downfall. Most notably Prohibition in 1919. Irish Whiskey took a near lethal blow, leaving only two distilleries: Bushmills, and Midleton, which were soon consolidated by Whiskey behemoth Irish Distillers, who took over the industry. But in the late 1980’s, through several acquisitions, mergers, and branding strategies, Irish Whiskey made a comeback.

After decades of being eclipsed by Scotch and American Whisk(e)y Industries, Irish Whiskey experienced a new surge in the industry, with a constant influx of new brands and distilleries. Just click on the map above to explore Irish distilleries!